12/20 Meatless Middle Eastern Food Monday
Happy new week and Meatless Monday. What a perfect day to indulge in a veg-tastic meal that is easy to prepare and easy to love.
Yesterday I was craving Middle Eastern food. My favorite dish is Vegetable Ghallaba, which is an assortment of sometimes grilled/ sometimes sauteed veggies in a tomato/lemony sauce served over rice. The flavors are so simple yet completely engrossing….I cant get enough. I always get a belly ache from loving too much of it in one sitting. The perfect bite starts with a few tines of hummus, then dipped into the rice and cooked veggies swimming in lemony sauce. I chase it with some pita bread. Irresistible.
This dish is perfect for a busy weekday and meatless meal because the sauce is really the star of the show, so you can use any veggies that you have on hand. Sandy threw in chick peas because she loves them and we had some in the fridge.
Photo By: S. Duquet
Vegetable Ghallaba
By: S. Boulton
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes, par boiled for 10 minutes
1 1/2 cups of carrots cut into 1 inch diagonal slices, par boiled with the potatoes
1 1/2 cups of zucchini (about one medium) sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
1 1/2 cups of yellow squash (about one medium) sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
1 cup of tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup of cooked (or canned) garbanzo beans
1/2 bell pepper, any color, I used orange
1 tsp of olive oil
1 tsp of garlic finely chopped
1 shallot finely chopped
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of tomato juice
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tbsp of olive oil or vegan butter (need a little fat added)
1 tbsp of paprika
2 tsp of garlic powder
2 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp of Syrian spice
1 tsp of rose water (this is found in middle eastern and some gourmet markets, an essence is what is needed, it could be orange water if that is easier to find)
Make it Happen:
In large saucepan, simmer chopped garlic and shallot in tsp of olive oil until the vegetables sweat. Add all the other ingredients, stir well to blend thoroughly, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may add more salt and pepper or squeeze of lemon to taste.
Photo BY: S. Duquet
Serve on a beautiful bed of rice and sprinkle with pine nuts because if you have pine nuts in the house, you should put them on everything you can.
Have a delicious day and a magnificent Meatless Monday. Can’t make it work today? Make it Meatless Tuesday. It is your schedule and your journey. Make it fun and help yourself be successful.
Tags: compassionate eating, dairy free, going veg, Lebanese vegetable dish, Meatless Monday, Middle Eastern cuisine, trying vegan, trying vegetarian, vegan, vegan entree, vegan experience, vegan recipe, vegan wannabe, vegetable ghallaba, vegetarian recipe
